103 – Acafellas

Sophy says: An amazing performance. I can see why the kids wanted their choreographer after watching that.

WHERE’S JESSE THOUGH?

Needs more Jesse.

Rin says: AGREED. NEEDS MOAR JESSE!!

But this was kind of the moment when we knew this show wasn’t kidding around, performance wise. And this was a really great setup for the ‘big bad’ of the season, and well.. all seasons to come? But Vocal Adrenaline were always the top club to beat, and I loved that they were so far ahead of ND. I’m kind of glad that it took them 3 years to beat them, even if I don’t agree with the way they won, it was a long journey for them in that regard. Lol. Journey.

Sophy says: Lol indeed. But ‘journey’ is the only word for it, really. One of the things that I love so much about season one of Glee is that you saw a clear progression with these kids from the bottom of the food chain to, you know, a place where they’re definitely getting to eat some of the smaller mammals regularly. The thing is that they did start small. They were a ragtag bunch. Okay they were a talented ragtag bunch, sure, but there wasn’t a one among them who belonged on stage alongside the members of Vocal Adrenaline in the early days – not even Rachel Berry.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say Rachel isn’t better than everyone else or anything. It’s just that she’s not done baking yet at this point.

Sophy says: Aw, see now looking back I can remember why Finchel used to be sort of lovely. Look at Finn’s little face looking at Rachel?

LOOK AT IT???

He looks like he’s just seen awesome for the first time. Like, really, he’s never used the word before because nothing has applied until now.

Appropriate.

I also love that this is a turning point for the group. It’s when they really start to become a group. There’s nothing like, as Rin puts it, a big bad to unite people, is there? And you know what else I love? Rachel Berry is their leader, undeniably. This is the moment where we get to see that Rachel is not the stereotype of the selfish, driven diva that some of the characters and some of the fans like to write her off as. Sure, becoming a star means everything to her, but she’s decent enough to stand up to someone who’s not appreciating all of them for who they are and what they can do. And she’s smart enough to know that this little man has got it all wrong – that they had it all wrong when they hired him. They’re never going to beat Vocal Adrenaline by imitating them – they have to focus on their own strengths instead.

I’ll just be over here, ignoring their ultimate Nationals-winning performance.

And oh god, I still don’t understand (and never want to) how people could hate Rachel after she does amazing things like this? And it was early on, so no excuses people. Rachel was always the best, okay? OKAY!

This may also be best scene because both of us have small dog syndrome and root for the little guy/gal. EVEN WHEN TRIUMPHING OVER A LITTLER GUY? IDK? WE’RE NOT SORRY.

Sophy says: We’ll never be sorry.

And may I just note how after that scene happens, this scene happens…

Faberry. Always.

Sophy says: Quinn sees Rachel stand up to short-stuff and proceeds directly to conquer her own demon. She stands up to Sue Sylvester, who at this stage in the show’s history is far more frightening than any miniature choreographer could possibly be. But Quinn decides it’s the right thing to do – and if Rachel can be brave, maybe so can she.

Seriously, it’s amazing to look back and see how much paralleling went on way back in the earliest of days. Basically Rachel was making Quinn want to be a better man as far back as episode three season one.

Think about it.

Rin says: May you never stop noting, because these types of notes are always relevant and important to the cause.

It also allows us to have more baby-faced Cheerleader Quinn Fabray which you can never have too much of.

And I think maybe this was about the time when Quinn became much more interesting than when she first appeared. Still not on the omfgwhatilumarrymeneverleaveme levels of today, but it was a step in the right direction for sure. And yes. It’s also around about the time when Faberry started making it a habit to make each other want to be a better man.

Sophy says: I wasn’t flat-out omfgwhatilumarrymeneverleaveme with Quinn until season 3, but looking back I’m seeing all the ways I underrated her – all the ways in which large swaths of fandom still underrate her. One thing I learned rewatching season 1: it’s a myth that Quinn Fabray was ever a cardboard cut-out wanton mega-bitch.

I’m not saying she didn’t have her faults, but she was never Regina George, okay?

Sophy says: This has got to be one of the lowest low-points of Glee. I mean. I was just face-palming the whole time whilst rewatching, and the fact that I’ve now bonded with Kurt and Mercedes and love them like my own children still wasn’t curbing it.

More to the point, Mercedes acting like Kurt has some ownership in that idiocy is just ugly stupid.

Her friend said liked another girl. So she threw a brick through his windshield.

And sang about it.

I will never.

Having said that, the screencaps of her holding the rock and Kurt watching her hold the rock? Pretty fucking adorable in spite of everything.

AND HELLO BRITTANY.

Rin says: LOL OH GOD. I almost wished this wasn’t here so it could remain in the land of, LET’S NEVER TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN, MMMKAY? Cause, wow.

THE ROCK. AND. YOU’RE NOT EFFY. THE CAR IS NOT KATIE. SO LET’S NOT, OKAY?

And can we please note, how all of the cheerleaders (save Quinn. ) are in bikini tops and dancing all around Mercedes and touching themselves seductively etc. and I’ve never heard of someone accusing Mercedes of being gay. Or it being the most gay fantasy sequence Glee has ever done.

And yet when our girl Quinn has a similar fantasy number coming up (SPOILER ALERT!) it’s the gayest thing known to man. Probably because Quinn is gay.

It was cute when they referred back to all of this rubbish with Kurt in the s3 finale though. AT LEAST THEY ARE NOW AWARE OF HOW STUPID THEY WERE WITH THIS.

Sophy says: Seriously, I’m surprised I kept watching the show given how cringe-worthy this episode was. I mean, The Simpsons barely pulled this shit off. Glee should never have tried.

Also, I should mention that I really, really, really don’t care about Will’s dad. To the point where I’m not even going to discuss him beyond noting how disgustingly trite it was that his son inspired him via boyband, and how I hope we never see him or his wife again, not even for the wedding, thank you and goodnight.

Rin says: IT WAS AWESOME WHEN THE SIMPSONS DID IT. I LOVE THE B SHARPS. SHUTUP. BABY ON BOARD, HOW I ADORE. ETC.

Um.

But yes. LIKE. Why.

Pretty sure it was just a bad excuse to allow Matt Morrison to sing and dance. WHICH I’M NOT SAYING NO TO, but come on. We don’t need to see Ken Tanaka out of his gym shorts and bum bag.

Sophy says: Ken Tanaka’s bum bag was the best thing about this, to be honest.

Sophy says: Can we just take a moment to absorb two things. One, let’s look at the difference in the way Quinn is looking at Rachel and the way Santana is looking at Rachel. AND SANTANA’S THE LESBIAN FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

Now let’s observe the sweet, heartbreaking vulnerability in Rachel’s face as she looks at Quinn.

Oddly enough, her face kind of reminds me of Finn’s face when he was seeing awesome for the first time.

JUST SAYING.

Rin says: SWEETIE, WE’RE A TEAM NOW.

LOL OH GOD. I bet Quinn has been wanting to call Rachel ‘sweetie’ for forever now, and finally saw an opportunity to do so. No matter how much she didn’t mean it. IT COUNTS.

And here begins Rachel’s obsession for Quinn’s approval. Sigh. So young. So in love. What.

Sophy says: We’re not saying we’re particularly invested in Josh Groban or anything, or that we condone pushing people to suicide because Faberry are the rightful heir to the throne or anything, but we fully appreciate the sentiment, Sandy.

Rin says: I don’t know.. I did like that You Raise Me Up song for a while. Not ashamed.

I’m all about the kill yourself sentiment when it comes to our loves.

…

Rophy says: It is our dream that someone will someday in conversation say “WHAT IS ROPHY KILL YOURSELF.”

I remember liking this more the first time around. It’s not pretty on rewatch. And it starts a trend of Episode 3 being terrible each year.

One benefit of (Faberry) hindsight is it makes sense of Quinn standing up to Sue, which seems really unearned otherwise. And they really haven’t figured out Santana yet, have they? Her stormout felt wildly OOC to me (though I still laughed). I like Rachel learning the ropes of club politics, building a bridge between the Cheerios’ and the outcasts’ approaches, both of which she sympathizes with. It feels a lot like S2 Rachel, sublimating her “what is good for Rachel” into “what is good for the team.”

Do you really not want to see Victor Garber singing at the wedding? Really?

all the ways in which large swaths of fandom still underrate her.One thing I learned rewatching season 1: it’s a myth that Quinn Fabray was ever a cardboard cut-out wanton mega-bitch.

Quinn was always a character with depth, completely fucked up and in desperate need of therapy but she has more depth in her pinky that a lot of characters combined. The problem is that this show loves to tell you what to think even when it sometimes it contradicts the characters actions and a great part of the fans eat that up instead of thinking on their own. Pretty much all of the characters are propped artificially, especially Finn (the ~hero) and Kurt, while Quinn gets the villain treatment. Even in the last episode Sue couldn’t tell her she was actually awesome without putting there she was slightly less evil than her, sure you can say it was a joke but it’s a constant through out the series.

In all fairness with the Sue bit though, over the years Sue has seen the most of Quinn’s manipulative side and was mostly behind her encouraging it. So it makes sense that Sue would see Quinn as a little bit evil. Trying to destroy Glee club. Lying to Finn. Selling out her best friend to become head cheerleader again. etcetc. BUT yeah. The show could cut Quinn some slack in that department. SHE’S AWESOME.

Oh I get the line from Sue’s POV but, like I tried to say earlier, through out the show Quinn’s wrongdoings get constantly brought up and her good deeds downplayed while the opposite happens for other characters. So yeah, the line itself doesn’t bother me but in context with the rest of the show and its overall treatment of Quinn it bugs.

The levels of Faberry you guys can find in these early episodes of Glee is simply inspiring…You’re doing God’s work.

I remember thinking this episode was decent at the time, but not one of my favorites. I do remember LOLing pretty hard at the Josh Groban/kill yourself comment, though.

Only two good things came out of the actual Acafella performance. 1. Puck first performance (not his best or anything, but it was still exciting to hear members of the cast sing for the first time.) 2. Sue’s face as she watches them perform at the PTA meeting or whatever the hell it was. It’s this weird mixture of horror and arousal and just Jane Lynch being brilliant as usual.

Oh, and not to be totally annoying and nitpicky (except that’s exactly what I’m being), but didn’t Emma end up marrying Stamos/Carl the Dentist for awhile, but then they divorced because they weren’t having sex? (Too bad he didn’t win some sort of national dentistry award. She would’ve given it up then….)

Anyways, great recap guys! I’m really looking forward to more retro Gleecaps, and you know, if you wanted to sprinkle in a Skins recap here or there, that’d be fine, too…….:) (What can I say, I miss Sophia popping up and brightening the world with her smile.)

‘didn’t Emma end up marrying Stamos/Carl the Dentist for awhile, but then they divorced because they weren’t having sex? (Too bad he didn’t win some sort of national dentistry award. She would’ve given it up then….)’

I kept hoping Mary Cherry would pop up too…I wanted her to either be a judge or a coach from some other school, but that never happened, so it’s going to happen in my fic.

I really have nothing to say about this episode except I hated it the first time around and almost gave up on the show after I had to sit through it the first time. The fact that I read the recap just goes to show how much I love you guys and will read anything you write.

I feel kind of sorry for the people who don’t worship at the altar of Faberry. The subtext (or main text in my head) makes this show so much better to watch. And I already loved it.

Your talk of “big bad” now has me wanting to rewatch Buffy. Like right this moment. Sadly my DVD’s are at my house, and I am on the other side of the country trapped in a hotel, half way through teaching a 3 week workshop. So thanks Rophy for the unquenchable Buffy cravings. :p

As always I love your recaps and thank you for taking the time to bring us all a little bit of joy.

OH! Speaking of me being out of town…I am currently staying in the town where Dalton Academy is supposedly located on the show. According to the locals we are not exactly close to Lima though, so that travel back and forth to see Blaine idea was pretty inaccurate. Shocking, I know.

“I bet Quinn has been wanting to call Rachel ‘sweetie’ for forever now”
hehehe made my day! And then seasons later, a drunken Rachel finally dares to reciprocate with a “Hey Girlfriend” in Blame it on the alcohol! It’s finally all coming together…!

YES!! I’ve been waiting for your next recap for what it seems like for ever.

I think it’s an inspiration for all of us the way you gys find faberry this early in the series, though I must say it’s easier now after all they’ve gone through, BUT! that doesn’t take anything away from you guys!!^^

Anyway…keep it up, I want next recap tomorrow!!! Or you know, whenever you want/can, no pressure.

(Sometimes I think that I read this reviews only to see snapshots/gifs of Quinn/Dianna. You guys made me fall in love with her, just so you know.)

Oh baby, adorable Quinn how I love you. Also Rachel and the faces. But Quinn is my heart. And yea, “Who is Rophy? Kill yourself.” TOTALLY a thing now. I’ve said it at least 4 times in the past year. LOL

I once made a somewhat obscure Rophy reference in public, and one girl whom I barely knew got it, and our eyes met and the clouds parted and doves carried Jeezus himself down from the skies and now we’re besties, with a foundation of Rophy love. It’s kind of like the opposite of “WHAT IS ROPHY KILL YOURSELF!!”

This post and the Quinning in the comments made me miss the Quintana friendship. They tried to bring it back in Season 3, which I was a huge fan of, but I wish it had been more consistent throughout.

I typed out a whole two paragraphs about how I imagine the behind-the-scenes, secret-gay-friendship of a babyfaced Cheerleader Quinn and Santana, but realized it was not necessary to get my point across.

My point is, thank you. Thank you for going back in time. I was even later to the Faberry ship and the Quinn worship than you two, and I can also appreciate her wonder retrospectively.

Oh my god Sandy Ryerson in season 1 I can’t. Sometimes I just say “THIS LOOKS LIKE BARF” and then lol forever. (Also when Josh Groban says he’s attracted to blowsy alcoholics aahaahahah)

Also did anyone notice that in the pilot, Will’s dad was an alcoholic who burnt down his family’s home, and then in this episode he’s…this? Lol continuity. Also in the pilot Sue says she killed her mom but her mom is Carol Burnett IDK. Oh Glee.